Three-dimensional memory device having double-width staircase regions and methods of manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

A three-dimensional memory device includes alternating stacks of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate. Each alternating stack within the plurality of alternating stacks is laterally spaced apart from one another by a network of interconnected trenches that extend through each level of the insulating layers and the electrically conductive layers. Groups of memory stack structures extend through a respective one of the alternating stacks. The network of interconnected trenches includes first lengthwise trenches laterally extending along a first horizontal direction by a first lateral trench extension distance, second lengthwise trenches laterally extending along the first horizontal direction and interlaced with the first lengthwise trenches to provide a laterally alternating sequence, and widthwise trenches connecting an end of a respective one of the second lengthwise trenches to a portion of a sidewall of a first lengthwise trench. The staircase regions provide a compact layout.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of semiconductor devices, and particular to a three-dimensional memory device having double-width staircase regions and methods of manufacturing the same.

BACKGROUND

Three-dimensional vertical NAND strings having one bit per cell are disclosed in an article by T. Endoh et al., titled “Novel Ultra High Density Memory With A Stacked-Surrounding Gate Transistor (S-SGT) Structured Cell”, IEDM Proc. (2001) 33-36.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a three-dimensional memory device is provided, which comprises: a plurality of alternating stacks of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, wherein each alternating stack within the plurality of alternating stacks is laterally spaced apart from one another by a network of interconnected trenches that extend through each level of the insulating layers and the electrically conductive layers; and groups of memory stack structures extending through a respective one of the plurality of alternating stacks, wherein the network of interconnected trenches comprises: first lengthwise trenches laterally extending along a first horizontal direction by a first lateral trench extension distance that is at least a maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks along the first horizontal direction; second lengthwise trenches laterally extending along the first horizontal direction by a second lateral trench extension distance that is less than the maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks along the first horizontal direction, and interlaced with the first lengthwise trenches to provide a laterally alternating sequence of the first lengthwise trenches and the second lengthwise trenches; and widthwise trenches laterally extending along a second horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction and connecting an end of a respective one of the second lengthwise trenches to a portion of a sidewall of a respective one of the first lengthwise trenches.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of forming a three-dimensional memory device is provided, which comprises: forming a vertically alternating sequence of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers over a substrate; patterning peripheral regions of the vertically alternating sequence to form stepped surfaces; forming memory stack structures through the memory array region in which each layer of the vertically alternating sequence is present; dividing the vertically alternating sequence into alternating stacks of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers by forming a network of interconnected trenches therethrough, wherein the network of interconnected trenches comprises: first lengthwise trenches laterally extending along a first horizontal direction by a first lateral trench extension distance that is at least a maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks along the first horizontal direction, second lengthwise trenches laterally extending along the first horizontal direction, interlaced with the first lengthwise trenches to provide a laterally alternating sequence of the first lengthwise trenches and the second lengthwise trenches extending along the first horizontal direction by a second lateral trench extension distance that is less than the maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks along the first horizontal direction, and widthwise trenches laterally extending along a second horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction and connecting an end of a respective one of the second lengthwise trenches to a portion of a sidewall of a respective one of the first lengthwise trenches; and replacing sacrificial material layers within each alternating stack with electrically conductive layers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of an exemplary structure after formation of at least one support device and a semiconductor material layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of a vertically alternating sequence of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of primary steps and secondary steps in peripheral regions of the vertically alternating sequence according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 3A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of additional primary steps in the peripheral regions of the vertically alternating sequence according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 4A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 4B.

FIG. 5A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of drain-select-level steps in the peripheral regions of the vertically alternating sequence and vertical pattern transfer of the pre-existing primary steps and pre-existing secondary steps according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 5A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 5B.

FIG. 6A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of drain-select-level steps in the peripheral regions of the vertically alternating sequence and vertical pattern transfer of the pre-existing primary steps and pre-existing secondary steps according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 6A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 6B.

FIG. 7A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of memory openings and support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 7A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 7B.

FIGS. 8A-8H are sequential schematic vertical cross-sectional views of a memory opening within the exemplary structure during formation of a memory stack structure, an optional dielectric core, and a drain region therein according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of memory stack structures and support pillar structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 9A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 9B.

FIG. 10A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of a contact level dielectric layer and trenches according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 10A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 10B.

FIG. 11A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of backside recesses according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 11A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 11B.

FIG. 12 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of tubular dielectric spacer and planar dielectric portions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 13A-13D are sequential vertical cross-sectional views of a region of the exemplary structure during formation of electrically conductive layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after conformal deposition of at least one conductive material in the backside recesses and at peripheral regions of the trenches according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after removal of the at least one conductive material from the trenches and above the alternating stacks according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 15A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 15A.

FIG. 15C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 15B.

FIG. 15D is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane D-D′ of FIG. 15B.

FIG. 15E is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane E-E′ of FIG. 15B.

FIG. 16A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of a continuous contact via structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 16A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 16A.

FIG. 16C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 16B.

FIG. 17A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure after formation of additional contact via structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17B is a schematic top-down view of the exemplary structure of FIG. 17A. The zig-zag vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-section of FIG. 17A.

FIG. 17C is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 17B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, the present disclosure is directed to a three-dimensional memory device using double-width staircase regions and methods of manufacturing the same, the various embodiments of which are described below. The embodiments of the disclosure may be used to form various structures including a multilevel memory structure, non-limiting examples of which include semiconductor devices such as three-dimensional monolithic memory array devices comprising a plurality of NAND memory strings.

The drawings are not drawn to scale. Multiple instances of an element may be duplicated where a single instance of the element is illustrated, unless absence of duplication of elements is expressly described or clearly indicated otherwise. Ordinals such as “first,” “second,” and “third” are used merely to identify similar elements, and different ordinals may be used across the specification and the claims of the instant disclosure. The same reference numerals refer to the same element or similar element. Unless otherwise indicated, elements having the same reference numerals are presumed to have the same composition and the same function. Unless otherwise indicated, a “contact” between elements refers to a direct contact between elements that provides an edge or a surface shared by the elements. As used herein, a first element located “on” a second element may be located on the exterior side of a surface of the second element or on the interior side of the second element. As used herein, a first element is located “directly on” a second element if there exist a physical contact between a surface of the first element and a surface of the second element. As used herein, a first element is “electrically connected to” a second element if there exists a conductive path consisting of at least one conductive material between the first element and the second element. As used herein, a “prototype” structure or an “in-process” structure refers to a transient structure that is subsequently modified in the shape or composition of at least one component therein.

As used herein, a “layer” refers to a material portion including a region having a thickness. A layer may extend over the entirety of an underlying or overlying structure, or may have an extent less than the extent of an underlying or overlying structure. Further, a layer may be a region of a homogeneous or inhomogeneous continuous structure that has a thickness less than the thickness of the continuous structure. For example, a layer may be located between any pair of horizontal planes between, or at, a top surface and a bottom surface of the continuous structure. A layer may extend horizontally, vertically, and/or along a tapered surface. A substrate may be a layer, may include one or more layers therein, or may have one or more layer thereupon, thereabove, and/or therebelow.

As used herein, a first surface and a second surface are “vertically coincident” with each other if the second surface overlies or underlies the first surface and there exists a vertical plane or a substantially vertical plane that includes the first surface and the second surface. A substantially vertical plane is a plane that extends straight along a direction that deviates from a vertical direction by an angle less than 5 degrees. A vertical plane or a substantially vertical plane is straight along a vertical direction or a substantially vertical direction, and may, or may not, include a curvature along a direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction or the substantially vertical direction.

A monolithic three-dimensional memory array is a memory array in which multiple memory levels are formed above a single substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, with no intervening substrates. The term “monolithic” means that layers of each level of the array are directly deposited on the layers of each underlying level of the array. In contrast, two dimensional arrays may be formed separately and then packaged together to form a non-monolithic memory device. For example, non-monolithic stacked memories have been constructed by forming memory levels on separate substrates and vertically stacking the memory levels, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,167 titled “Three-dimensional Structure Memory.” The substrates may be thinned or removed from the memory levels before bonding, but as the memory levels are initially formed over separate substrates, such memories are not true monolithic three-dimensional memory arrays. The various three-dimensional memory devices of the present disclosure include a monolithic three-dimensional NAND string memory device, and may be fabricated using the various embodiments described herein.

Generally, a semiconductor package (or a “package”) refers to a unit semiconductor device that may be attached to a circuit board through a set of pins or solder balls. A semiconductor package may include a semiconductor chip (or a “chip”) or a plurality of semiconductor chips that are bonded throughout, for example, by flip-chip bonding or another chip-to-chip bonding. A package or a chip may include a single semiconductor die (or a “die”) or a plurality of semiconductor dies. A die is the smallest unit that may independently execute external commands or report status. Typically, a package or a chip with multiple dies is capable of simultaneously executing as many external commands as the total number of planes therein. Each die includes one or more planes. Identical concurrent operations may be executed in each plane within a same die, although there may be some restrictions. In embodiments in which a die is a memory die, i.e., a die including memory elements, concurrent read operations, concurrent write operations, or concurrent erase operations may be performed in each plane within a same memory die. In a memory die, each plane contains a number of memory blocks (or “blocks”), which are the smallest unit that may be erased by in a single erase operation. Each memory block contains a number of pages, which are the smallest units that may be selected for programming. A page is also the smallest unit that may be selected to a read operation.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated, which may be used, for example, to fabricate a device structure containing vertical NAND memory devices. The exemplary structure includes a substrate (9, 10), which may be a semiconductor substrate. The substrate may include a substrate semiconductor layer 9 and an optional semiconductor material layer 10. The substrate semiconductor layer 9 maybe a semiconductor wafer or a semiconductor material layer, and may include at least one elemental semiconductor material (e.g., single crystal silicon wafer or layer), at least one III-V compound semiconductor material, at least one II-VI compound semiconductor material, at least one organic semiconductor material, or other semiconductor materials known in the art. The substrate may have a major surface 7, which may be, for example, a topmost surface of the substrate semiconductor layer 9. The major surface 7 may be a semiconductor surface. In one embodiment, the major surface 7 may be a single crystalline semiconductor surface, such as a single crystalline semiconductor surface.

As used herein, a “semiconducting material” refers to a material having electrical conductivity in the range from 1.0×10⁻⁵ S/m to 1.0×10⁵ S/m. As used herein, a “semiconductor material” refers to a material having electrical conductivity in the range from 1.0×10⁻⁵ S/m to 1.0 S/m in the absence of electrical dopants therein, and is capable of producing a doped material having electrical conductivity in a range from 1.0 S/m to 1.0×10⁵ S/m upon suitable doping with an electrical dopant. As used herein, an “electrical dopant” refers to a p-type dopant that adds a hole to a valence band within a band structure, or an n-type dopant that adds an electron to a conduction band within a band structure. As used herein, a “conductive material” refers to a material having electrical conductivity greater than 1.0×10⁵ S/m. As used herein, an “insulator material” or a “dielectric material” refers to a material having electrical conductivity less than 1.0×10⁻⁵ S/m. As used herein, a “heavily doped semiconductor material” refers to a semiconductor material that is doped with electrical dopant at a sufficiently high atomic concentration to become a conductive material either as formed as a crystalline material or if converted into a crystalline material through an anneal process (for example, from an initial amorphous state), i.e., to have electrical conductivity greater than 1.0×10⁵ S/m. A “doped semiconductor material” may be a heavily doped semiconductor material, or may be a semiconductor material that includes electrical dopants (i.e., p-type dopants and/or n-type dopants) at a concentration that provides electrical conductivity in the range from 1.0×10⁻⁵ S/m to 1.0×10⁵ S/m. An “intrinsic semiconductor material” refers to a semiconductor material that is not doped with electrical dopants. Thus, a semiconductor material may be semiconducting or conductive, and may be an intrinsic semiconductor material or a doped semiconductor material. A doped semiconductor material may be semiconducting or conductive depending on the atomic concentration of electrical dopants therein. As used herein, a “metallic material” refers to a conductive material including at least one metallic element therein. All measurements for electrical conductivities are made at the standard condition.

At least one semiconductor device 700 for a peripheral circuitry may be formed on a portion of the substrate semiconductor layer 9. The at least one semiconductor device 700 may include at least one support device for a three-dimensional memory array to be subsequently formed. The at least one semiconductor device 700 may include, for example, field effect transistors. For example, at least one shallow trench isolation structure 720 may be formed by etching portions of the substrate semiconductor layer 9 and depositing a dielectric material therein. A gate dielectric layer, at least one gate conductor layer, and a gate cap dielectric layer may be formed over the substrate semiconductor layer 9, and may be subsequently patterned to form at least one gate structure (750, 752, 754, 758), each of which may include a gate dielectric 750, a gate electrode (752, 754), and a gate cap dielectric 758. The gate electrode (752, 754) may include a stack of a first gate electrode portion 752 and a second gate electrode portion 754. At least one gate spacer 756 may be formed around the at least one gate structure (750, 752, 754, 758) by depositing and anisotropically etching a dielectric liner. Active regions 730 may be formed in upper portions of the substrate semiconductor layer 9, for example, by introducing electrical dopants using the at least one gate structure (750, 752, 754, 758) as masking structures. Additional masks may be used as needed. The active region 730 may include source regions and drain regions of field effect transistors. A first dielectric liner 761 and a second dielectric liner 762 may be optionally formed. Each of the first and second dielectric liners (761, 762) may comprise a silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer, and/or a dielectric metal oxide layer. As used herein, silicon oxide includes silicon dioxide as well as non-stoichiometric silicon oxides having more or less than two oxygen atoms for each silicon atoms. Silicon dioxide is preferred. In an illustrative example, the first dielectric liner 761 may be a silicon oxide layer, and the second dielectric liner 762 may be a silicon nitride layer. The least one semiconductor device 700 for the peripheral circuitry may contain a driver circuit for memory devices to be subsequently formed, which may include at least one NAND device.

A dielectric material such as silicon oxide may be deposited over the at least one semiconductor device 700, and may be subsequently planarized to form a planarization dielectric layer 770. In one embodiment the planarized top surface of the planarization dielectric layer 770 may be coplanar with a top surface of the dielectric liners (761, 762). Subsequently, the planarization dielectric layer 770 and the dielectric liners (761, 762) may be removed from an area to physically expose a top surface of the substrate semiconductor layer 9. As used herein, a surface is “physically exposed” if the surface is in physical contact with vacuum, or a gas phase material (such as air).

The optional semiconductor material layer 10, if present, may be formed on the top surface of the substrate semiconductor layer 9 prior to, or after, formation of the at least one semiconductor device 700 by deposition of a single crystalline semiconductor material, for example, by selective epitaxy. The deposited semiconductor material may be the same as, or may be different from, the semiconductor material of the substrate semiconductor layer 9. The deposited semiconductor material may be any material that may be used for the substrate semiconductor layer 9 as described above. The single crystalline semiconductor material of the semiconductor material layer 10 may be in epitaxial alignment with the single crystalline structure of the substrate semiconductor layer 9. Portions of the deposited semiconductor material located above the top surface of the planarization dielectric layer 770 may be removed, for example, by chemical mechanical planarization (CMP). In such an embodiment, the semiconductor material layer 10 may have a top surface that is coplanar with the top surface of the planarization dielectric layer 770.

The region (i.e., area) of the at least one semiconductor device 700 is herein referred to as a support device region 200. The region in which a memory array is subsequently formed is herein referred to as a memory array region 100. A staircase region 300 for subsequently forming stepped terraces of electrically conductive layers may be provided between the memory array region 100 and the support device region 200.

Referring to FIG. 2, a stack of an alternating plurality of first material layers (which may be insulating layers 32) and second material layers (which may be sacrificial material layer 42) may be formed over the top surface of the substrate (9, 10). As used herein, a “material layer” refers to a layer including a material throughout the entirety thereof. As used herein, a stack of an alternating plurality of first material layers and second material layers refers to a stack structure in which instances of the first material layers and instances of the second material layers alternate. Each instance of the first material layers that is not an end layer of the alternating plurality is adjoined by two instances of the second material layers on both sides, and each instance of the second material layers that is not an end element of the alternating plurality is adjoined by two instances of the first material layers on both ends. The first elements may have the same thickness throughout, or may have different thicknesses. The second elements may have the same thickness throughout, or may have different thicknesses. The alternating plurality of first material layers and second material layers may begin with an instance of the first material layers or with an instance of the second material layers, and may end with an instance of the first material layers or with an instance of the second material layers. In one embodiment, an instance of the first elements and an instance of the second elements may form a unit that is repeated with periodicity within the alternating plurality.

Each first material layer includes a first material, and each second material layer includes a second material that is different from the first material. In one embodiment, each first material layer may be an insulating layer 32, and each second material layer may be a sacrificial material layer. In such embodiments, the stack may include an alternating plurality of insulating layers 32 and sacrificial material layers 42, and constitutes a prototype stack of alternating layers comprising insulating layers 32 and sacrificial material layers 42.

The stack of the alternating plurality of material layers is herein referred to as a vertically alternating sequence (32, 42). In one embodiment, the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) may include insulating layers 32 composed of the first material, and sacrificial material layers 42 composed of a second material different from that of insulating layers 32. The first material of the insulating layers 32 may be at least one insulating material. As such, each insulating layer 32 may be an insulating material layer. Insulating materials that may be used for the insulating layers 32 include, but are not limited to, silicon oxide (including doped or undoped silicate glass), silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, organosilicate glass (OSG), spin-on dielectric materials, dielectric metal oxides that are commonly known as high dielectric constant (high-k) dielectric oxides (e.g., aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, etc.) and silicates thereof, dielectric metal oxynitrides and silicates thereof, and organic insulating materials. In one embodiment, the first material of the insulating layers 32 may be silicon oxide.

The second material of the sacrificial material layers 42 is a sacrificial material that may be removed selective to the first material of the insulating layers 32. As used herein, a removal of a first material is “selective to” a second material if the removal process removes the first material at a rate that is at least twice the rate of removal of the second material. The ratio of the rate of removal of the first material to the rate of removal of the second material is herein referred to as a “selectivity” of the removal process for the first material with respect to the second material.

The sacrificial material layers 42 may comprise an insulating material, a semiconductor material, or a conductive material. The second material of the sacrificial material layers 42 may be subsequently replaced with electrically conductive electrodes which may function, for example, as control gate electrodes of a vertical NAND device. Non-limiting examples of the second material include silicon nitride, an amorphous semiconductor material (such as amorphous silicon), and a polycrystalline semiconductor material (such as polysilicon). In one embodiment, the sacrificial material layers 42 may be spacer material layers that comprise silicon nitride or a semiconductor material including at least one of silicon and germanium.

In one embodiment, the insulating layers 32 may include silicon oxide, and sacrificial material layers may include silicon nitride sacrificial material layers. The first material of the insulating layers 32 may be deposited, for example, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). For example, if silicon oxide is used for the insulating layers 32, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) may be used as the precursor material for the CVD process. The second material of the sacrificial material layers 42 may be formed, for example, CVD or atomic layer deposition (ALD).

The sacrificial material layers 42 may be suitably patterned so that conductive material portions to be subsequently formed by replacement of the sacrificial material layers 42 may function as electrically conductive electrodes, such as the control gate electrodes of the monolithic three-dimensional NAND string memory devices to be subsequently formed. The sacrificial material layers 42 may comprise a portion having a strip shape extending substantially parallel to the major surface 7 of the substrate.

The thicknesses of the insulating layers 32 and the sacrificial material layers 42 may be in a range from 20 nm to 50 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may be used for each insulating layer 32 and for each sacrificial material layer 42. The number of repetitions of the pairs of an insulating layer 32 and a sacrificial material layer (e.g., a control gate electrode or a sacrificial material layer) 42 may be in a range from 2 to 1,024, and typically from 8 to 256, although a greater number of repetitions may also be used. The top and bottom gate electrodes in the stack may function as the select gate electrodes. In one embodiment, each sacrificial material layer 42 in the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) may have a uniform thickness that is substantially invariant within each respective sacrificial material layer 42.

While the present disclosure is described using an embodiment in which the spacer material layers are sacrificial material layers 42 that are subsequently replaced with electrically conductive layers, embodiments are expressly contemplated herein in which the sacrificial material layers are formed as electrically conductive layers. In such an embodiment, steps for replacing the spacer material layers with electrically conductive layers may be omitted.

Optionally, an insulating cap layer 70 may be formed over the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42). The insulating cap layer 70 may include a dielectric material that is different from the material of the sacrificial material layers 42. In one embodiment, the insulating cap layer 70 may include a dielectric material that may be used for the insulating layers 32 as described above. The insulating cap layer 70 may have a greater thickness than each of the insulating layers 32. The insulating cap layer 70 may be deposited, for example, by chemical vapor deposition. In one embodiment, the insulating cap layer 70 may be a silicon oxide layer.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, processing steps for patterning peripheral regions of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) may be performed to form stepped surfaces. For example, a hard mask layer 371 may be formed above the insulating cap layer 70, and may be patterned to cover the areas in which formation of stepped surfaces is to be avoided. FIG. 3B illustrates the area of the hard mask layer 371 without expressly illustrating the hard mask layer 371. The hard mask layer 371 may include an etch mask different from the materials of the alternating stack (32, 42) and the insulating cap layer 70. For example, the hard mask layer 371 may include polysilicon. The area covered by the hard mask layer 371 include the entire area of the memory array region 100 and areas of the staircase region 300 in which drain contact via structures are to be subsequently formed. An anisotropic etch process may be performed to etch the portions of the insulating cap layer 70 that are not covered by the hard mask layer 371.

A first trimmable mask layer (of which the area is schematically represented by element 471 in FIG. 3B) including a trimmable material may be applied over the exemplary structure, and may be lithographically patterned to form rectangular openings with straight edges that extend along the first horizontal direction hd1. An anisotropic etch process may be performed to etch through a pair of a sacrificial material layer 42 and an insulating layer 32, thereby forming first vertical steps S1 that underlie edges of the hard mask layer 371 located within openings in the first trimmable mask layer and forming second vertical steps S2 underneath edges of the first trimmable mask layer that laterally extend along the first horizontal direction hd1. The first trimmable mask layer may be isotropically trimmed, for example, by ashing so that the area covered by the first trimmable mask layer shrinks isotropically from the area illustrated in FIG. 3B. The duration of the trimming process is selected such that the edges of the first trimmable mask layer shifts to a location at which a next set of second vertical steps S2 is to be formed. An anisotropic etch process is performed to etch through pair of a sacrificial material layer 42 and an insulating layer 32 with areas that are not covered by any of the hard mask layer 371 and the first trimmable mask layer. Preexisting second vertical steps S2 and preexisting first vertical steps S1 may be transferred downward by the thickness of a pair of a sacrificial material layer 42 and an insulating layer 32, new second vertical steps S2 may be formed underneath edges of the first trimmable mask layer, and new first vertical steps S1 may be formed underneath segments of the hard mask layer 371 that is newly physically exposed during previous trimming of the first trimmable mask layer. The combination of a trimming process and an anisotropic etch process may be repeated until multiple columns of staircase strips are formed. Each staircase strip may have an area defined by a neighboring pair of second vertical steps S2 and a respective first vertical step S1. The first trimmable mask layer may be subsequently removed. An anisotropic etch process may be performed once to vertically recess the physically exposed portions of the vertically alternating sequence by the thickness of a pair of a sacrificial material layer and an insulating layer 32. The hard mask layer 371 may be subsequently removed.

Referring to FIGS. 4A-4C, additional processing steps for patterning peripheral regions of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) may be performed. For example, a second trimmable mask layer may be formed to cover the entire area of the memory array region 100 and proximal portions of the staircase regions 300 such that straight edges of the second trimmable mask layer that extend along the second horizontal direction hd2 are formed at locations at which most distal first vertical steps S1 are to be subsequently formed. An anisotropic etch process may be performed to etch through multiple pairs of sacrificial material layers 42 and insulating layers 32. The number of pairs of sacrificial material layers 42 and insulating layers 32 that are etched through during the anisotropic etch process may be the same as the total number of different heights of the physically exposed planar surfaces of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) provided by the patterning step of FIGS. 3A-3C. For example, if six different heights are provided for the physically exposed planar surfaces of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) in each staircase region 300, six pairs of sacrificial material layers 42 and insulating layers 32 may be etched through during the anisotropic etch process.

The second trimmable mask layer may be trimmed such that the edges of the second trimmable mask layer are formed at locations at which next first vertical steps S1 are to be formed. An anisotropic etch process may be performed to etch through multiple pairs of sacrificial material layers 42 and insulating layers 32. The number of pairs of sacrificial material layers 42 and insulating layers 32 that are etched through during the anisotropic etch process may be the same as the total number of different heights of the physically exposed planar surfaces of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) provided by the patterning step of FIGS. 3A-3C.

A combination of a trimming process for the second trimmable mask layer and an anisotropic etch process may be repeated until all first vertical steps S1 may be formed which are more distal from the memory array region 100 than the first distal steps S1 formed at the processing steps of FIGS. 4A-4C are from the memory array region 100. Multiple columns of staircase strips are formed in each of the staircase regions 300. Each column of staircase strips is located between a neighboring pair of second vertical steps S2 that are perpendicular to the second horizontal direction hd1, and includes multiple first vertical steps S1 that are perpendicular to the first horizontal direction hd1.

Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C, optionally, the second trimmable mask layer may be further trimmed so that straight edges of the second trimmable mask layer extending along the second horizontal direction hd2 are located between the memory array region 100 and the locations at which the first vertical steps S1 are formed at the processing steps of FIGS. 3A-3C. An anisotropic etch process may be performed to etch unmasked portions of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) by the thickness of a pair of a sacrificial material layer 42 and an insulating layer 32. Drain-select-level steps S0 that extend along the second horizontal direction hd2 may be formed. As used herein, a drain-select-level step refers to a step that is formed at a drain select level, i.e., at a level at which a drain select gate electrode is to be subsequently formed. Optionally, a combination of trimming step and an anisotropic etch step may be repeated to form additional drain-select-level steps S0. Each time an anisotropic etch process is performed, preexisting first vertical steps S1 and preexisting second vertical steps S2 shift downward by the thickness of a pair of a sacrificial material layer 42 and an insulating layer 32. The second trimmable mask layer may be removed, for example, by ashing after formation of the most proximal one of the drain-select-level steps S0. As used herein, the proximity or the distality of the first vertical steps S1 and the drain-select-level steps S0 is measured from the memory array region 100.

A stepped cavity may be formed within the volume from which portions of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) are removed through formation of the stepped surfaces. A “stepped cavity” refers to a cavity having stepped surfaces. The stepped cavity may have various stepped surfaces such that the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the stepped cavity changes in steps as a function of the vertical distance from the top surface of the substrate (9, 10). Generally, the stepped cavity may be formed by repetitively performing a set of processing steps. The set of processing steps may include, for example, an etch process of a first type that vertically increases the depth of a cavity by one or more levels, and an etch process of a second type that laterally expands the area to be vertically etched in a subsequent etch process of the first type. As used herein, a “level” of a structure including alternating plurality is defined as the relative position of a pair of a first material layer and a second material layer within the structure.

Each sacrificial material layer 42 other than a topmost sacrificial material layer 42 within the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) laterally extends farther than any overlying sacrificial material layer 42 within the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) in the staircase regions 300. The staircase regions 300 may include stepped surfaces of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) that continuously extend from a bottommost layer within the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) to a topmost layer within the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42).

Each vertical step of the stepped surfaces may have the height of one or more pairs of an insulating layer 32 and a sacrificial material layer. In one embodiment, multiple columns of staircase strips may be formed along the first horizontal direction hd1 such that at least some vertical steps have the height of a plurality (such as six as illustrated) of pairs of an insulating layer 32 and a sacrificial material layer 42, and the number of columns may be at least the number (such as six as illustrated) of the plurality of pairs. Each column of staircase may be vertically offset from one another such that each of the sacrificial material layers 42 has a physically exposed top surface in a respective column of staircases. Configurations using four, eight, ten, or more columns of staircases with a respective set of vertical offsets from the physically exposed surfaces of the sacrificial material layers 42 may also be used. Each sacrificial material layer 42 has a greater lateral extent, at least along one direction, than any overlying sacrificial material layers 42 such that each physically exposed surface of any sacrificial material layer 42 does not have an overhang. In one embodiment, the first vertical steps S1 within each column of staircases may perpendicular to the first horizontal direction hd1, and the columns of staircases may be arranged along the second horizontal direction hd2 that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction hd1. In one embodiment, the first horizontal direction hd1 may be perpendicular to the boundary between the memory array region 100 and the staircase region 300.

Referring to FIGS. 6A-6C, a retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 (i.e., an insulating fill material portion) may be formed in the stepped cavity by deposition of a dielectric material therein. For example, a dielectric material such as silicon oxide may be deposited in the stepped cavity. Excess portions of the deposited dielectric material may be removed from above the top surface of the insulating cap layer 70, for example, by chemical mechanical planarization (CMP). The remaining portion of the deposited dielectric material filling the stepped cavity constitutes the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65. As used herein, a “retro-stepped” element refers to an element that has stepped surfaces and a horizontal cross-sectional area that increases monotonically as a function of a vertical distance from a top surface of a substrate on which the element is present. If silicon oxide is used for the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65, the silicon oxide of the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 may, or may not, be doped with dopants such as B, P, and/or F.

Drain-select-level isolation structures 72 may be formed through the insulating cap layer 70 and a subset of the sacrificial material layers 42 located at drain select levels. The drain-select-level isolation structures 72 may be formed, for example, by forming drain-select-level isolation trenches and filling the drain-select-level isolation trenches with a dielectric material such as silicon oxide. Excess portions of the dielectric material may be removed from above the top surface of the insulating cap layer 70. The drain-select-level isolation structures 72 may extending through a subset of the sacrificial material layers 42 of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) that is subsequently replaced with electrically conductive layers. The drain-select-level isolation structures 72 laterally extends along the first horizontal direction hd1 with a respective uniform width, and are laterally spaced apart from one another along the second horizontal direction hd2. The drain-select-level isolation structures 72 may be formed as clusters with gaps that extend along the first horizontal direction hd1.

Referring to FIGS. 7A-7C, a lithographic material stack (not shown) including at least a photoresist layer may be formed over the insulating cap layer 70 and the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65, and may be lithographically patterned to form openings therein. The openings include a first set of openings formed over the memory array region 100 and a second set of openings formed over the staircase region 300. The pattern in the lithographic material stack may be transferred through the insulating cap layer 70 or the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65, and through the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) by at least one anisotropic etch that uses the patterned lithographic material stack as an etch mask. Portions of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) underlying the openings in the patterned lithographic material stack may be etched to form memory openings 49 and support openings 19. As used herein, a “memory opening” refers to a structure in which memory elements, such as a memory stack structure, may be subsequently formed. As used herein, a “support opening” refers to a structure in which a support structure (such as a support pillar structure) that mechanically supports other elements may be subsequently formed. The memory openings 49 may be formed through the insulating cap layer 70 and the entirety of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) in the memory array region 100. The support openings 19 may be formed through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 and the portion of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) that underlie the stepped surfaces in the staircase region 300.

The memory openings 49 extend through the entirety of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42). The support openings 19 extend through a subset of layers within the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42). The chemistry of the anisotropic etch process used to etch through the materials of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) may alternate to optimize etching of the first and second materials in the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42). The anisotropic etch may be, for example, a series of reactive ion etches. The sidewalls of the memory openings 49 and the support openings 19 may be substantially vertical, or may be tapered. The patterned lithographic material stack may be subsequently removed, for example, by ashing.

The memory openings 49 and the support openings 19 may extend from the top surface of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) to at least the horizontal plane including the topmost surface of the semiconductor material layer 10. In one embodiment, an overetch into the semiconductor material layer 10 may be optionally performed after the top surface of the semiconductor material layer 10 is physically exposed at a bottom of each memory opening 49 and each support opening 19. The overetch may be performed prior to, or after, removal of the lithographic material stack. In other words, the recessed surfaces of the semiconductor material layer 10 may be vertically offset from the un-recessed top surfaces of the semiconductor material layer 10 by a recess depth. The recess depth may be, for example, in a range from 1 nm to 50 nm, although lesser and greater recess depths may also be used. The overetch is optional, and may be omitted. If the overetch is not performed, the bottom surfaces of the memory openings 49 and the support openings 19 may be coplanar with the topmost surface of the semiconductor material layer 10.

Each of the memory openings 49 and the support openings 19 may include a sidewall (or a plurality of sidewalls) that extends substantially perpendicular to the topmost surface of the substrate. A two-dimensional array of memory openings 49 may be formed in the memory array region 100. A two-dimensional array of support openings 19 may be formed in the staircase region 300. The substrate semiconductor layer 9 and the semiconductor material layer 10 collectively constitutes a substrate (9, 10), which may be a semiconductor substrate. Alternatively, the semiconductor material layer 10 may be omitted, and the memory openings 49 and the support openings 19 may be extend to a top surface of the substrate semiconductor layer 9.

The memory openings 49 may be formed as clusters of memory openings 49 that are located between a respective neighboring pair of drain-select-level isolation structures 72 or between a drain-select-level isolation structure 72 and a gap region that is free of memory openings 49 or drain-select-level isolation structures 72.

FIGS. 8A-8H illustrate structural changes in a memory opening 49, which is one of the memory openings 49 in the exemplary structure of FIGS. 7A-7C. The same structural change occurs simultaneously in each of the other memory openings 49 and in each of the support openings 19.

Referring to FIG. 8A, a memory opening 49 in the exemplary device structure of FIGS. 7A-7C is illustrated. The memory opening 49 may extend through the insulating cap layer 70, the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42), and optionally into an upper portion of the semiconductor material layer 10. At this processing step, each support opening 19 may extend through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65, a subset of layers in the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42), and optionally through the upper portion of the semiconductor material layer 10. The recess depth of the bottom surface of each memory opening with respect to the top surface of the semiconductor material layer 10 may be in a range from 0 nm to 30 nm, although greater recess depths may also be used. Optionally, the sacrificial material layers 42 may be laterally recessed partially to form lateral recesses (not shown), for example, by an isotropic etch.

Referring to FIG. 8B, an optional pedestal channel portion (e.g., an epitaxial pedestal) 11 may be formed at the bottom portion of each memory opening 49 and each support openings 19, for example, by selective epitaxy. Each pedestal channel portion 11 may comprises a single crystalline semiconductor material in epitaxial alignment with the single crystalline semiconductor material of the semiconductor material layer 10. In one embodiment, the top surface of each pedestal channel portion 11 may be formed above a horizontal plane including the top surface of a bottommost sacrificial material layer 42. In such embodiments, a source select gate electrode may be subsequently formed by replacing the bottommost sacrificial material layer 42 with a conductive material layer. The pedestal channel portion 11 may be a portion of a transistor channel that extends between a source region to be subsequently formed in the substrate (9, 10) and a drain region to be subsequently formed in an upper portion of the memory opening 49. A memory cavity 49′ is present in the unfilled portion of the memory opening 49 above the pedestal channel portion 11. In one embodiment, the pedestal channel portion 11 may comprise single crystalline silicon. In one embodiment, the pedestal channel portion 11 may have a doping of the first conductivity type, which is the same as the conductivity type of the semiconductor material layer 10 that the pedestal channel portion contacts. If a semiconductor material layer 10 is not present, the pedestal channel portion 11 may be formed directly on the substrate semiconductor layer 9, which may have a doping of the first conductivity type.

Referring to FIG. 8C, a stack of layers including a blocking dielectric layer 52, a charge storage layer 54, a tunneling dielectric layer 56, and an optional first semiconductor channel layer 601 may be sequentially deposited in the memory openings 49.

The blocking dielectric layer 52 may include a single dielectric material layer or a stack of a plurality of dielectric material layers. In one embodiment, the blocking dielectric layer may include a dielectric metal oxide layer consisting essentially of a dielectric metal oxide. As used herein, a dielectric metal oxide refers to a dielectric material that includes at least one metallic element and at least oxygen. The dielectric metal oxide may consist essentially of the at least one metallic element and oxygen, or may consist essentially of the at least one metallic element, oxygen, and at least one non-metallic element such as nitrogen. In one embodiment, the blocking dielectric layer 52 may include a dielectric metal oxide having a dielectric constant greater than 7.9, i.e., having a dielectric constant greater than the dielectric constant of silicon nitride.

Non-limiting examples of dielectric metal oxides include aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), hafnium oxide (HfO₂), lanthanum oxide (LaO₂), yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃), tantalum oxide (Ta₂O₅), silicates thereof, nitrogen-doped compounds thereof, alloys thereof, and stacks thereof. The dielectric metal oxide layer may be deposited, for example, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), pulsed laser deposition (PLD), liquid source misted chemical deposition, or a combination thereof. The thickness of the dielectric metal oxide layer may be in a range from 1 nm to 20 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used. The dielectric metal oxide layer may subsequently function as a dielectric material portion that blocks leakage of stored electrical charges to control gate electrodes. In one embodiment, the blocking dielectric layer 52 includes aluminum oxide. In one embodiment, the blocking dielectric layer 52 may include multiple dielectric metal oxide layers having different material compositions.

Alternatively, or additionally, the blocking dielectric layer 52 may include a dielectric semiconductor compound such as silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the blocking dielectric layer 52 may include silicon oxide. In such embodiments, the dielectric semiconductor compound of the blocking dielectric layer 52 may be formed by a conformal deposition method such as low pressure chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, or a combination thereof. The thickness of the dielectric semiconductor compound may be in a range from 1 nm to 20 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the blocking dielectric layer 52 may be omitted, and a backside blocking dielectric layer may be formed after formation of backside recesses on surfaces of memory films to be subsequently formed.

Subsequently, the charge storage layer 54 may be formed. In one embodiment, the charge storage layer 54 may be a continuous layer or patterned discrete portions of a charge trapping material including a dielectric charge trapping material, which may be, for example, silicon nitride. Alternatively, the charge storage layer 54 may include a continuous layer or patterned discrete portions of a conductive material such as doped polysilicon or a metallic material that is patterned into multiple electrically isolated portions (e.g., floating gates), for example, by being formed within lateral recesses into sacrificial material layers 42. In one embodiment, the charge storage layer 54 includes a silicon nitride layer. In one embodiment, the sacrificial material layers 42 and the insulating layers 32 may have vertically coincident sidewalls, and the charge storage layer 54 may be formed as a single continuous layer.

In another embodiment, the sacrificial material layers 42 may be laterally recessed with respect to the sidewalls of the insulating layers 32, and a combination of a deposition process and an anisotropic etch process may be used to form the charge storage layer 54 as a plurality of memory material portions that are vertically spaced apart. While the present disclosure is described using an embodiment in which the charge storage layer 54 is a single continuous layer, embodiments are expressly contemplated herein in which the charge storage layer 54 is replaced with a plurality of memory material portions (which may be charge trapping material portions or electrically isolated conductive material portions) that are vertically spaced apart.

The charge storage layer 54 may be formed as a single charge storage layer of homogeneous composition, or may include a stack of multiple charge storage layers. The multiple charge storage layers, if used, may comprise a plurality of spaced-apart floating gate material layers that contain conductive materials (e.g., metal such as tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, titanium, platinum, ruthenium, and alloys thereof, or a metal silicide such as tungsten silicide, molybdenum silicide, tantalum silicide, titanium silicide, nickel silicide, cobalt silicide, or a combination thereof) and/or semiconductor materials (e.g., polycrystalline or amorphous semiconductor material including at least one elemental semiconductor element or at least one compound semiconductor material). Alternatively, or additionally, the charge storage layer 54 may comprise an insulating charge trapping material, such as one or more silicon nitride segments. Alternatively, the charge storage layer 54 may comprise conductive nanoparticles such as metal nanoparticles, which may be, for example, ruthenium nanoparticles. The charge storage layer 54 may be formed, for example, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), or any suitable deposition technique for storing electrical charges therein. The thickness of the charge storage layer 54 may be in a range from 2 nm to 20 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used.

The tunneling dielectric layer 56 may include a dielectric material through which charge tunneling may be performed under suitable electrical bias conditions. The charge tunneling may be performed through hot-carrier injection or by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling induced charge transfer depending on the mode of operation of the monolithic three-dimensional NAND string memory device to be formed. The tunneling dielectric layer 56 may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, dielectric metal oxides (such as aluminum oxide and hafnium oxide), dielectric metal oxynitride, dielectric metal silicates, alloys thereof, and/or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the tunneling dielectric layer 56 may include a stack of a first silicon oxide layer, a silicon oxynitride layer, and a second silicon oxide layer, which is commonly known as an ONO stack. In one embodiment, the tunneling dielectric layer 56 may include a silicon oxide layer that is substantially free of carbon or a silicon oxynitride layer that is substantially free of carbon. The thickness of the tunneling dielectric layer 56 may be in a range from 2 nm to 20 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used.

The optional first semiconductor channel layer 601 includes a semiconductor material such as at least one elemental semiconductor material, at least one III-V compound semiconductor material, at least one II-VI compound semiconductor material, at least one organic semiconductor material, or other semiconductor materials known in the art. In one embodiment, the first semiconductor channel layer 601 may include amorphous silicon or polysilicon. The first semiconductor channel layer 601 may be formed by a conformal deposition method such as low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). The thickness of the first semiconductor channel layer 601 may be in a range from 2 nm to 10 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used. A memory cavity 49′ may be formed in the volume of each memory opening 49 that is not filled with the deposited material layers (52, 54, 56, 601).

Referring to FIG. 8D, the optional first semiconductor channel layer 601, the tunneling dielectric layer 56, the charge storage layer 54, and the blocking dielectric layer 52 may be sequentially anisotropically etched using at least one anisotropic etch process. The portions of the first semiconductor channel layer 601, the tunneling dielectric layer 56, the charge storage layer 54, and the blocking dielectric layer 52 located above the top surface of the insulating cap layer 70 may be removed by the at least one anisotropic etch process. Further, the horizontal portions of the first semiconductor channel layer 601, the tunneling dielectric layer 56, the charge storage layer 54, and the blocking dielectric layer 52 at a bottom of each memory cavity 49′ may be removed to form openings in remaining portions thereof. Each of the first semiconductor channel layer 601, the tunneling dielectric layer 56, the charge storage layer 54, and the blocking dielectric layer 52 may be etched by a respective anisotropic etch process using a respective etch chemistry, which may, or may not, be the same for the various material layers.

Each remaining portion of the first semiconductor channel layer 601 may have a tubular configuration. The charge storage layer 54 may comprise a charge trapping material or a floating gate material. In one embodiment, each charge storage layer 54 may include a vertical stack of charge storage regions that store electrical charges upon programming. In one embodiment, the charge storage layer 54 may be a charge storage layer in which each portion adjacent to the sacrificial material layers 42 constitutes a charge storage region.

A surface of the pedestal channel portion 11 (or a surface of the semiconductor material layer 10 in embodiments in which the pedestal channel portions 11 are not used) may be physically exposed underneath the opening through the first semiconductor channel layer 601, the tunneling dielectric layer 56, the charge storage layer 54, and the blocking dielectric layer 52. Optionally, the physically exposed semiconductor surface at the bottom of each memory cavity 49′ may be vertically recessed so that the recessed semiconductor surface underneath the memory cavity 49′ is vertically offset from the topmost surface of the pedestal channel portion 11 (or of the semiconductor material layer 10 in embodiments in which pedestal channel portions 11 are not used) by a recess distance. A tunneling dielectric layer 56 may be located over the charge storage layer 54. A set of a blocking dielectric layer 52, a charge storage layer 54, and a tunneling dielectric layer 56 in a memory opening 49 constitutes a memory film 50, which includes a plurality of charge storage regions (comprising the charge storage layer 54) that are insulated from surrounding materials by the blocking dielectric layer 52 and the tunneling dielectric layer 56. In one embodiment, the first semiconductor channel layer 601, the tunneling dielectric layer 56, the charge storage layer 54, and the blocking dielectric layer 52 may have vertically coincident sidewalls.

Referring to FIG. 8E, a second semiconductor channel layer 602 may be deposited directly on the semiconductor surface of the pedestal channel portion 11 or the semiconductor material layer 10 if the pedestal channel portion 11 is omitted, and directly on the first semiconductor channel layer 601. The second semiconductor channel layer 602 includes a semiconductor material such as at least one elemental semiconductor material, at least one III-V compound semiconductor material, at least one II-VI compound semiconductor material, at least one organic semiconductor material, or other semiconductor materials known in the art. In one embodiment, the second semiconductor channel layer 602 includes amorphous silicon or polysilicon. The second semiconductor channel layer 602 may be formed by a conformal deposition method such as low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). The thickness of the second semiconductor channel layer 602 may be in a range from 2 nm to 10 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used. The second semiconductor channel layer 602 may partially fill the memory cavity 49′ in each memory opening, or may fully fill the cavity in each memory opening.

The materials of the first semiconductor channel layer 601 and the second semiconductor channel layer 602 are collectively referred to as a semiconductor channel material. In other words, the semiconductor channel material is a set of all semiconductor material in the first semiconductor channel layer 601 and the second semiconductor channel layer 602.

Referring to FIG. 8F, in embodiments in which the memory cavity 49′ in each memory opening is not completely filled by the second semiconductor channel layer 602, a dielectric core layer 62L may be deposited in the memory cavity 49′ to fill any remaining portion of the memory cavity 49′ within each memory opening. The dielectric core layer 62L includes a dielectric material such as silicon oxide or organosilicate glass. The dielectric core layer 62L may be deposited by a conformal deposition method such as low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), or by a self-planarizing deposition process such as spin coating.

Referring to FIG. 8G, the horizontal portion of the dielectric core layer 62L may be removed, for example, by a recess etch from above the top surface of the insulating cap layer 70. Each remaining portion of the dielectric core layer 62L constitutes a dielectric core 62. Further, the horizontal portion of the second semiconductor channel layer 602 located above the top surface of the insulating cap layer 70 may be removed by a planarization process, which may use a recess etch or chemical mechanical planarization (CMP). Each remaining portion of the second semiconductor channel layer 602 may be located entirety within a memory opening 49 or entirely within a support opening 19.

Each adjoining pair of a first semiconductor channel layer 601 and a second semiconductor channel layer 602 may collectively form a vertical semiconductor channel 60 through which electrical current may flow when a vertical NAND device including the vertical semiconductor channel 60 is turned on. A tunneling dielectric layer 56 is surrounded by a charge storage layer 54, and laterally surrounds a portion of the vertical semiconductor channel 60. Each adjoining set of a blocking dielectric layer 52, a charge storage layer 54, and a tunneling dielectric layer 56 collectively constitute a memory film 50, which may store electrical charges with a macroscopic retention time. In some embodiments, a blocking dielectric layer 52 may not be present in the memory film 50 at this step, and a blocking dielectric layer may be subsequently formed after formation of backside recesses. As used herein, a macroscopic retention time refers to a retention time suitable for operation of a memory device as a permanent memory device such as a retention time in excess of 24 hours.

Referring to FIG. 8H, the top surface of each dielectric core 62 may be further recessed within each memory opening, for example, by a recess etch to a depth that is located between the top surface of the insulating cap layer 70 and the bottom surface of the insulating cap layer 70. Drain regions 63 may be formed by depositing a doped semiconductor material within each recessed region above the dielectric cores 62. The drain regions 63 may have a doping of a second conductivity type that is the opposite of the first conductivity type. For example, if the first conductivity type is p-type, the second conductivity type is n-type, and vice versa. The dopant concentration in the drain regions 63 may be in a range from 5.0×10¹⁹/cm³ to 2.0×10²¹/cm³, although lesser and greater dopant concentrations may also be used. The doped semiconductor material may be, for example, doped polysilicon. Excess portions of the deposited semiconductor material may be removed from above the top surface of the insulating cap layer 70, for example, by chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) or a recess etch to form the drain regions 63.

Each combination of a memory film 50 and a vertical semiconductor channel 60 within a memory opening 49 constitutes a memory stack structure 55. The memory stack structure 55 is a combination of a semiconductor channel, a tunneling dielectric layer, a plurality of memory elements comprising portions of the charge storage layer 54, and an optional blocking dielectric layer 52. Each combination of a pedestal channel portion 11 (if present), a memory stack structure 55, a dielectric core 62, and a drain region 63 within a memory opening 49 is herein referred to as a memory opening fill structure 58. Each combination of a pedestal channel portion 11 (if present), a memory film 50, a vertical semiconductor channel 60, a dielectric core 62, and a drain region 63 within each support opening 19 fills the respective support openings 19, and constitutes a support pillar structure.

Referring to FIGS. 9A-9C, the exemplary structure is illustrated after formation of memory opening fill structures 58 and support pillar structure 20 within the memory openings 49 and the support openings 19, respectively. An instance of a memory opening fill structure 58 may be formed within each memory opening 49 of the structure of FIGS. 7A-7C. An instance of the support pillar structure 20 may be formed within each support opening 19 of the structure of FIGS. 7A-7C.

Each memory stack structure 55 includes a vertical semiconductor channel 60, which may comprise multiple semiconductor channel layers (601, 602), and a memory film 50. The memory film 50 may comprise a tunneling dielectric layer 56 laterally surrounding the vertical semiconductor channel 60, a vertical stack of charge storage regions (comprising a charge storage layer 54) laterally surrounding the tunneling dielectric layer 56, and an optional blocking dielectric layer 52. Each memory stack structure 55 is formed through the memory array region 100 in which each layer of the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) is present. While the present disclosure is described using the illustrated configuration for the memory stack structure, the methods of the present disclosure may be applied to alternative memory stack structures including different layer stacks or structures for the memory film 50 and/or for the vertical semiconductor channel 60.

Referring to FIGS. 10A-10C, a contact level dielectric layer 73 may be formed over the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) of insulating layer 32 and sacrificial material layers 42, and over the memory stack structures 55 and the support pillar structures 20. The contact level dielectric layer 73 includes a dielectric material that is different from the dielectric material of the sacrificial material layers 42. For example, the contact level dielectric layer 73 may include silicon oxide. The contact level dielectric layer 73 may have a thickness in a range from 50 nm to 500 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used.

A photoresist layer (not shown) may be applied over the contact level dielectric layer 73, and may be lithographically patterned to form a network of openings and isolated openings. The pattern in the photoresist layer may be transferred through the contact level dielectric layer 73, the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) and/or the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 using an anisotropic etch to form trenches 79, which vertically extend from the top surface of the contact level dielectric layer 73 at least to the top surface of the substrate (9, 10), and laterally extend through the memory array region 100 and the staircase region 300.

The trenches 79 include a network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W) that may divide the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42) into multiple alternating stacks (32, 42) of insulating layers 32 and sacrificial material layers 42 that are laterally spaced apart. Accordingly, the memory array region 100 may be divided into multiple memory array regions 100 including a portion of a respective alternating stack (32, 42). Likewise, each staircase region 300 may be divided into multiple staircase regions 300 including a portion of a respective alternating stack (32, 42). Alternating stacks of insulating layers 32 and sacrificial material layers 42 may be formed over the substrate (9, 10). Each alternating stack within the plurality of alternating stacks may be laterally spaced apart from one another by the network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W) that extend through each level of the insulating layers 32 and the sacrificial material layers 42. A group of memory stack structures 55 extends through each alternating stack (32, 42).

The network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W) comprises first lengthwise trenches 79L1 laterally extending along the first horizontal direction hd1 by a first lateral trench extension distance d1 that is at least a maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks along the first horizontal direction hd1, second lengthwise trenches 79L2 laterally extending along the first horizontal direction hd1 by a lateral extent that is equal to a second lateral trench extension distance d2 which is less than the maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks (32, 42) along the first horizontal direction hd1, and interlaced with the first lengthwise trenches 79L1 to provide a laterally alternating sequence of the first lengthwise trenches 79L1 and the second lengthwise trenches 79L2 , and widthwise trenches 79W laterally extending along the second horizontal direction hd2 that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction hd1 and connecting an end of a respective one of the second lengthwise trenches 79L1 to a portion of a sidewall of a respective one of the first lengthwise trenches 79L1 (at a location other than an end portion of the first lengthwise trench 79L1); and each of the first lengthwise trenches 79L1, the second lengthwise trenches 79L2, and the widthwise trenches 79W vertically extends through each layer within the vertically alternating sequence (32, 42).

The area of each of the plurality of alternating stacks comprises: a respective memory array region 100 including each layer within a respective alternating stack (32, 42) and a respective subset of the memory stack structures 55; and a respective staircase region 300 including stepped surfaces of the respective alternating stack (32, 42). In one embodiment, each memory array region 100 is formed with a first lateral width w1 along the second horizontal direction hd2; and each staircase region 300 has a respective first segment having a second lateral width w2 along the second horizontal direction, wherein the second lateral width is greater than the first lateral width w1.

In one embodiment, each memory array region 100 has a first lateral width w1 along the second horizontal direction hd2, and each staircase region 300 has a respective first segment 301 having a second lateral width w2 along the second horizontal direction hd2. The second lateral width w2 is greater than the first lateral width w1. In one embodiment, the second lateral width w2 is greater than twice the first lateral width w1. In one embodiment, the second lateral width w2 may be equal to the sum of twice the first lateral width w1 and the width of a second lengthwise trench 79L2. In one embodiment, each staircase region 300 comprises a respective connection segment 30C that adjoins the respective first segment 301 to a respective memory array region 100 and having the first lateral width w1 along the second horizontal direction hd2.

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional memory device comprises third lengthwise trenches 79L3 that are laterally spaced from, and are not adjoined to, the network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W) and dividing a portion of each staircase region 300 along the first horizontal direction into a respective second segment 302 and a respective third segment 303.

In on embodiment, horizontal surfaces within the respective second segment 302 are vertically offset from horizontal surfaces within the respective third segment 303 due the vertical offset of the various patterned surfaces introduced at the processing steps of FIGS. 3A-3C.

In one embodiment, each of the third lengthwise trenches 79L3 includes a pair of lengthwise sidewalls that are located within a pair of vertical planes that include a pair of lengthwise sidewalls of one of the second lengthwise trenches 79L2. In other words, a pair of vertical planes that extend along the first horizontal direction hd1 may include a pair of lengthwise sidewalls of a second lengthwise trench 79L2 and a pair of lengthwise sidewalls of a third lengthwise trench 79L3.

In one embodiment, an edge of the respective second segment 302 that extends along the second horizontal direction hd2 is adjoined to a first portion of a straight edge of the respective first segment 301, and an edge of the respective third segment 303 that extends along the second horizontal direction hd2 is adjoined to a second portion of the straight edge of the respective first segment 301. In one embodiment, each of the first lengthwise trenches 79L1, the second lengthwise trenches 79L2, and the widthwise trenches 79W has a respective uniform width. In one embodiment, each of the first lengthwise trenches 79L1, the second lengthwise trenches 79L2, and the widthwise trenches 79W may have the same uniform width throughout.

Each drain-select-level isolation structure 72 may have a uniform vertical cross-sectional profile along vertical planes that are perpendicular to the first horizontal direction hd1 that is invariant with translation along the first horizontal direction hd1. A cluster of memory stack structures 55 (which includes multiple rows of memory stack structures 55) may be located between a neighboring pair of a first or second lengthwise trench (79L1, 79L2) and a drain-select-level isolation structure 72, or between a neighboring pair of drain-select-level isolation structures 72. A group of memory stack structures 55 (which includes multiple clusters of memory stack structures 55) may be located between a neighboring pair of a first lengthwise trench 79L1 and a second lengthwise trench 79L2. In one embodiment, the trenches 79 may include a source contact opening in which a source contact via structure may be subsequently formed. The photoresist layer may be removed, for example, by ashing.

Referring to FIGS. 11A-11C, an etchant that selectively etches the second material of the sacrificial material layers 42 with respect to the first material of the insulating layers 32 may be introduced into the trenches 79, for example, using an etch process. Each of the sacrificial material layers 42 may be removed selective to the insulating layers 32 of the alternating stacks (32, 42) using an isotropic etch process that provides an isotropic etchant into the trenches 79 that include the network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W). Backside recesses 43 may be formed in volumes from which the sacrificial material layers 42 are removed. The removal of the second material of the sacrificial material layers 42 may be selective to the first material of the insulating layers 32, the material of the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65, the semiconductor material of the semiconductor material layer 10, and the material of the outermost layer of the memory films 50. In one embodiment, the sacrificial material layers 42 may include silicon nitride, and the materials of the insulating layers 32 and the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 may be selected from silicon oxide and dielectric metal oxides.

The etch process that removes the second material selective to the first material and the outermost layer of the memory films 50 may be a wet etch process using a wet etch solution, or may be a gas phase (dry) etch process in which the etchant is introduced in a vapor phase into the trenches 79. For example, if the sacrificial material layers 42 include silicon nitride, the etch process may be a wet etch process in which the exemplary structure is immersed within a wet etch tank including phosphoric acid, which etches silicon nitride selective to silicon oxide, silicon, and various other materials used in the art. The support pillar structure 20, the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65, and the memory stack structures 55 provide structural support while the backside recesses 43 are present within volumes previously occupied by the sacrificial material layers 42.

Each backside recess 43 may be a laterally extending cavity having a lateral dimension that is greater than the vertical extent of the cavity. In other words, the lateral dimension of each backside recess 43 may be greater than the height of the backside recess 43. A plurality of backside recesses 43 may be formed in the volumes from which the second material of the sacrificial material layers 42 is removed. The memory openings in which the memory stack structures 55 are formed are herein referred to as front side openings or front side cavities in contrast with the backside recesses 43. In one embodiment, the memory array region 100 comprises an array of monolithic three-dimensional NAND strings having a plurality of device levels disposed above the substrate (9, 10). In such embodiments, each backside recess 43 may define a space for receiving a respective word line of the array of monolithic three-dimensional NAND strings.

Each of the plurality of backside recesses 43 may extend substantially parallel to the top surface of the substrate (9, 10). A backside recess 43 may be vertically bounded by a top surface of an underlying insulating layer 32 and a bottom surface of an overlying insulating layer 32. In one embodiment, each backside recess 43 may have a uniform height throughout.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13A, physically exposed surface portions of the optional pedestal channel portions 11 and the semiconductor material layer 10 may be converted into dielectric material portions by thermal conversion and/or plasma conversion of the semiconductor materials into dielectric materials. For example, thermal conversion and/or plasma conversion may be used to convert a surface portion of each pedestal channel portion 11 into a tubular dielectric spacer 116, and to convert each physically exposed surface portion of the semiconductor material layer 10 into a planar dielectric portion 616. In one embodiment, each tubular dielectric spacer 116 may be topologically homeomorphic to a torus, i.e., generally ring-shaped. As used herein, an element is topologically homeomorphic to a torus if the shape of the element may be continuously stretched without destroying a hole or forming a new hole into the shape of a torus. The tubular dielectric spacers 116 include a dielectric material that includes the same semiconductor element as the pedestal channel portions 11 and additionally includes at least one non-metallic element such as oxygen and/or nitrogen such that the material of the tubular dielectric spacers 116 is a dielectric material. In one embodiment, the tubular dielectric spacers 116 may include a dielectric oxide, a dielectric nitride, or a dielectric oxynitride of the semiconductor material of the pedestal channel portions 11. Likewise, each planar dielectric portion 616 includes a dielectric material that includes the same semiconductor element as the semiconductor material layer and additionally includes at least one non-metallic element such as oxygen and/or nitrogen such that the material of the planar dielectric portions 616 is a dielectric material. In one embodiment, the planar dielectric portions 616 may include a dielectric oxide, a dielectric nitride, or a dielectric oxynitride of the semiconductor material of the semiconductor material layer 10.

Referring to FIG. 13B, a backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may be optionally formed. The backside blocking dielectric layer 44, if present, comprises a dielectric material that functions as a control gate dielectric for the control gates to be subsequently formed in the backside recesses 43. In embodiments in which the blocking dielectric layer 52 is present within each memory opening, the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 is optional. In embodiments in which the blocking dielectric layer 52 is omitted, the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 is present.

The backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may be formed in the backside recesses 43 and on a sidewall of the trench 79. The backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may be formed directly on horizontal surfaces of the insulating layers 32 and sidewalls of the memory stack structures 55 within the backside recesses 43. If the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 is formed, formation of the tubular dielectric spacers 116 and the planar dielectric portion 616 prior to formation of the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 is optional. In one embodiment, the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may be formed by a conformal deposition process such as atomic layer deposition (ALD). The backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may consist essentially of aluminum oxide. The thickness of the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may be in a range from 1 nm to 15 nm, such as 2 to 6 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used.

The dielectric material of the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may be a dielectric metal oxide such as aluminum oxide, a dielectric oxide of at least one transition metal element, a dielectric oxide of at least one Lanthanide element, a dielectric oxide of a combination of aluminum, at least one transition metal element, and/or at least one Lanthanide element. Alternatively, or additionally, the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may include a silicon oxide layer. The backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may be deposited by a conformal deposition method such as chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition. The backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may be formed on the sidewalls of the trenches 79, horizontal surfaces and sidewalls of the insulating layers 32, the portions of the sidewall surfaces of the memory stack structures 55 that are physically exposed to the backside recesses 43, and a top surface of the planar dielectric portion 616. A backside cavity 79′ is present within the portion of each trench 79 that is not filled with the backside blocking dielectric layer 44.

Referring to FIG. 13C, a metallic barrier layer 46A may be deposited in the backside recesses 43. The metallic barrier layer 46A includes an electrically conductive metallic material that may function as a diffusion barrier layer and/or adhesion promotion layer for a metallic fill material to be subsequently deposited. The metallic barrier layer 46A may include a conductive metallic nitride material such as TiN, TaN, WN, or a stack thereof, or may include a conductive metallic carbide material such as TiC, TaC, WC, or a stack thereof. In one embodiment, the metallic barrier layer 46A may be deposited by a conformal deposition process such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or atomic layer deposition (ALD). The thickness of the metallic barrier layer 46A may be in a range from 2 nm to 8 nm, such as from 3 nm to 6 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used. In one embodiment, the metallic barrier layer 46A may consist essentially of a conductive metal nitride such as TiN.

Referring to FIGS. 13D and 14, a metal fill material may be deposited in the plurality of backside recesses 43, on the sidewalls of the at least one the trench 79, and over the top surface of the contact level dielectric layer 73 to form a metallic fill material layer 46B. The metallic fill material may be deposited by a conformal deposition method, which may be, for example, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), electroless plating, electroplating, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the metallic fill material layer 46B may consist essentially of at least one elemental metal. The at least one elemental metal of the metallic fill material layer 46B may be selected, for example, from tungsten, cobalt, ruthenium, titanium, and tantalum. In one embodiment, the metallic fill material layer 46B may consist essentially of a single elemental metal. In one embodiment, the metallic fill material layer 46B may be deposited using a fluorine-containing precursor gas such as WF₆. In one embodiment, the metallic fill material layer 46B may be a tungsten layer including a residual level of fluorine atoms as impurities. The metallic fill material layer 46B is spaced from the insulating layers 32 and the memory stack structures 55 by the metallic barrier layer 46A, which is a metallic barrier layer that blocks diffusion of fluorine atoms therethrough.

A plurality of electrically conductive layers 46 may be formed in the plurality of backside recesses 43, and a continuous electrically conductive material layer 46L may be formed on the sidewalls of each trench 79 and over the contact level dielectric layer 73. Each electrically conductive layer 46 may include a portion of the metallic barrier layer 46A and a portion of the metallic fill material layer 46B that are located between a vertically neighboring pair of dielectric material layers such as a pair of insulating layers 32. The continuous electrically conductive material layer 46L includes a continuous portion of the metallic barrier layer 46A and a continuous portion of the metallic fill material layer 46B that are located in the trenches 79 or above the contact level dielectric layer 73.

Each sacrificial material layer 42 may be replaced with an electrically conductive layer 46. A backside cavity 79′ is present in the portion of each trench 79 that is not filled with the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 and the continuous electrically conductive material layer 46L. A tubular dielectric spacer 116 laterally surrounds a pedestal channel portion 11. A bottommost electrically conductive layer 46 laterally surrounds each tubular dielectric spacer 116 upon formation of the electrically conductive layers 46.

Referring to FIGS. 15A-15E, the deposited metallic material of the continuous electrically conductive material layer 46L may be etched back from the sidewalls of each trench 79 and from above the contact level dielectric layer 73, for example, by an isotropic wet etch, an anisotropic dry etch, or a combination thereof. Each remaining portion of the deposited metallic material in the backside recesses 43 constitutes an electrically conductive layer 46. Each electrically conductive layer 46 may be a conductive line structure. Thus, the sacrificial material layers 42 are replaced with the electrically conductive layers 46.

Each electrically conductive layer 46 may function as a combination of a plurality of control gate electrodes located at a same level and a word line electrically interconnecting, i.e., electrically connecting, the plurality of control gate electrodes located at the same level. The plurality of control gate electrodes within each electrically conductive layer 46 may be the control gate electrodes for the vertical memory devices including the memory stack structures 55. In other words, each electrically conductive layer 46 may be a word line that functions as a common control gate electrode for the plurality of vertical memory devices.

In one embodiment, the removal of the continuous electrically conductive material layer 46L may be selective to the material of the backside blocking dielectric layer 44. In such embodiments, a horizontal portion of the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may be present at the bottom of each trench 79. In another embodiment, the removal of the continuous electrically conductive material layer 46L may not be selective to the material of the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 or, the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 may not be used. The planar dielectric portions 616 may be removed during removal of the continuous electrically conductive material layer 46L. A backside cavity may be present within each trench 79.

Referring to FIGS. 16A-16C, an insulating material layer may be formed in the trenches 79 and over the contact level dielectric layer 73 by a conformal deposition process. Exemplary conformal deposition processes include, but are not limited to, chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition. The insulating material layer includes an insulating material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, a dielectric metal oxide, an organosilicate glass, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the insulating material layer may include silicon oxide. The insulating material layer may be formed, for example, by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) or atomic layer deposition (ALD). The thickness of the insulating material layer may be in a range from 1.5 nm to 60 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used.

If a backside blocking dielectric layer 44 is present, the insulating material layer may be formed directly on surfaces of the backside blocking dielectric layer 44 and directly on the sidewalls of the electrically conductive layers 46. If a backside blocking dielectric layer 44 is not used, the insulating material layer may be formed directly on sidewalls of the insulating layers 32 and directly on sidewalls of the electrically conductive layers 46.

An anisotropic etch is performed to remove horizontal portions of the insulating material layer from above the contact level dielectric layer 73 and at the bottom of each trench 79. Each remaining portion of the insulating material layer constitutes an insulating spacer 74. A single insulating spacer 74 may be formed on sidewalls of the network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W). Additional insulating spacers 74 may be formed within each one of the third lengthwise trenches 79L3. A backside cavity 79′ is present within a volume surrounded by each insulating spacer 74. A top surface of the semiconductor material layer 10 may be physically exposed at the bottom of each trench 79.

A source region 61 may be formed at a surface portion of the semiconductor material layer 10 under the network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W) by implantation of electrical dopants into physically exposed surface portions of the semiconductor material layer 10. The source region 61 is formed in a surface portion of the substrate (9, 10) that underlies an opening through the insulating spacer 74. Due to the straggle of the implanted dopant atoms during the implantation process and lateral diffusion of the implanted dopant atoms during a subsequent activation anneal process, each source region 61 may have a lateral extent greater than the lateral extent of the opening through the insulating spacer 74.

An upper portion of the semiconductor material layer 10 that extends between the source region 61 and the plurality of pedestal channel portions 11 constitutes a horizontal semiconductor channel 59 for a plurality of field effect transistors. The horizontal semiconductor channel 59 may be connected to multiple vertical semiconductor channels 60 through respective pedestal channel portions 11. The horizontal semiconductor channel 59 may contact the source region 61 and the plurality of pedestal channel portions 11. A bottommost electrically conductive layer 46 provided upon formation of the electrically conductive layers 46 within the alternating stack (32, 46) may comprise a select gate electrode for the field effect transistors. Each source region 61 may be formed in an upper portion of the substrate (9, 10). Semiconductor channels (59, 11, 60) extend between each source region 61 and a respective set of drain regions 63. The semiconductor channels (59, 11, 60) include the vertical semiconductor channels 60 of the memory stack structures 55.

A backside contact via structure 76 may be formed within each backside cavity 79′. Each contact via structure 76 may fill a respective backside cavity 79′. The contact via structures 76 may be formed by depositing at least one conductive material in the remaining unfilled volume (i.e., the backside cavity 79′) of the trench 79. For example, the at least one conductive material may include a conductive liner and a conductive fill material portion. The conductive liner may include a conductive metallic liner such as TiN, TaN, WN, TiC, TaC, WC, an alloy thereof, or a stack thereof. The thickness of the conductive liner may be in a range from 3 nm to 30 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses may also be used. The conductive fill material portion may include a metal or a metallic alloy. For example, the conductive fill material portion may include W, Cu, Al, Co, Ru, Ni, an alloy thereof, or a stack thereof.

The at least one conductive material may be planarized using the contact level dielectric layer 73 overlying the alternating stack (32, 46) as a stopping layer. If chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process is used, the contact level dielectric layer 73 may be used as a CMP stopping layer. Each remaining continuous portion of the at least one conductive material in the trenches 79 constitutes a backside contact via structure 76.

The backside contact via structure 76 may extend through the alternating stack (32, 46), and contacts a top surface of the source region 61. If a backside blocking dielectric layer 44 is used, the backside contact via structure 76 may contact a sidewall of the backside blocking dielectric layer 44.

Referring to FIGS. 17A-17C, additional contact via structures (88, 86) may be formed through the contact level dielectric layer 73, and optionally through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65. For example, drain contact via structures 88 may be formed through the contact level dielectric layer 73 on each drain region 63. Word line contact via structures 86 may be formed on the electrically conductive layers 46 through the contact level dielectric layer 73, and through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65. Support device contact via structures may be formed through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 directly on respective nodes of the support devices.

Referring to all drawings and according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a three-dimensional memory device is provided, which comprises: alternating stacks of insulating layers 32 and electrically conductive layers 46 located over a substrate (9, 10), wherein each alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers (32, 46) within the plurality of alternating stacks (32, 46) is laterally spaced apart from one another by a network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W) that extend through each level of the insulating layers 32 and the electrically conductive layers 46; and groups of memory stack structures 55 extending through a respective one of the plurality of alternating stacks (32, 46), wherein the network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W) comprises: first lengthwise trenches 79L1 laterally extending along a first horizontal direction hd1 by a first lateral trench extension distance d1 that is at least a maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks (32, 46) along the first horizontal direction hd1; second lengthwise trenches 79L2 laterally extending along the first horizontal direction hd1 by a second lateral trench extension distance d2 that is less than the maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks (32, 46) along the first horizontal direction hd1, and interlaced with the first lengthwise trenches 79L1 to provide a laterally alternating sequence of the first lengthwise trenches 79L1 and the second lengthwise trenches 79L2; and widthwise trenches 79W laterally extending along a second horizontal direction hd2 that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction hd1 and connecting an end of a respective one of the second lengthwise trenches 79L2 to a portion of a sidewall of a respective one of the first lengthwise trenches 79L1.

In one embodiment, an area of each of the plurality of alternating stacks (32, 46) comprises: a respective memory array region 100 including each layer within a respective alternating stack (32, 46); and a respective staircase region 300 including stepped surfaces of the respective alternating stack (32, 46).

In one embodiment, each memory array region 100 has a first lateral width w1 along the second horizontal direction hd2; and each staircase region 300 has a respective first segment 301 having a second lateral width w2 along the second horizontal direction hd2, wherein the second lateral width hd2 is greater than the first lateral width w1. In one embodiment, the second lateral width w2 may be greater than twice the first lateral width w1.

In one embodiment, each staircase region 300 comprises a respective connection segment 30C adjoins the respective first segment 301 to a respective memory array region 100 and having the first lateral w1 width along the second horizontal direction hd2. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional memory comprises third lengthwise trenches 79L3 that are laterally spaced from, and are not adjoined to, the network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W) and dividing a portion of each staircase region 300 along the first horizontal direction hd1 into a respective second segment 302 and a respective third segment 303.

In one embodiment, horizontal surfaces within the respective second segment 302 are vertically offset from horizontal surfaces within the respective third segment 303. In one embodiment, each of the third lengthwise trenches 79L3 includes a pair of lengthwise sidewalls that are located within a pair of vertical planes that include a pair of lengthwise sidewalls of one of the second lengthwise trenches 79L2. In one embodiment, an edge of the respective second segment 302 that extends along the second horizontal direction hd2 is adjoined to a first portion of a straight edge of the respective first segment 301, and an edge of the respective third segment 303 that extends along the second horizontal direction hd2 is adjoined to a second portion of the straight edge of the respective first segment 301.

In one embodiment, each of the first lengthwise trenches 79L1, the second lengthwise trenches 79L2, and the widthwise trenches 79W has a respective uniform width. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional memory device comprises a continuous contact via structure 76 that extends through each of the first lengthwise trenches 79L1, the second lengthwise trenches 79L2, and the widthwise trenches 79W as a single continuous structure and is electrically isolated from each of the plurality of alternating stacks (32, 46) by an insulating spacer 74; and a source region 61 including a doped semiconductor material, formed in the substrate (9, 10), and contacting a bottom surface of the continuous contact via structure 76.

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional memory device comprises drain-select-level isolation structures 72 extending through a subset of the electrically conductive layers 46 within the plurality of alternating stacks (32, 46), laterally extending along the first horizontal direction hd1 with a respective uniform width, and laterally spaced apart from one another along the second horizontal direction hd2.

The exemplary structures may include a three-dimensional memory device. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional memory device comprises a monolithic three-dimensional NAND memory device. The electrically conductive layers 46 may comprise, or may be electrically connected to, a respective word line of the monolithic three-dimensional NAND memory device. The substrate (9, 10) may comprise a silicon substrate. The vertical NAND memory device may comprise an array of monolithic three-dimensional NAND strings over the silicon substrate. At least one memory cell (comprising a portion of a charge storage layer 54 at a level of an electrically conductive layer 46) in a first device level of the array of monolithic three-dimensional NAND strings may be located over another memory cell (comprising another portion of the charge storage layer 54 at a level of another electrically conductive layer 46) in a second device level of the array of monolithic three-dimensional NAND strings. The silicon substrate may contain an integrated circuit comprising a driver circuit (comprising a subset of the least one semiconductor device 700) for the memory device located thereon. The electrically conductive layers 46 may comprise a plurality of control gate electrodes having a strip shape extending substantially parallel to the top surface of the substrate (9, 10), e.g., between a pair of trenches 79. The plurality of control gate electrodes comprises at least a first control gate electrode located in a first device level and a second control gate electrode located in a second device level. The array of monolithic three-dimensional NAND strings may comprise: a plurality of semiconductor channels (59, 11, 60), wherein at least one end portion 60 of each of the plurality of semiconductor channels (59, 11, 60) extends substantially perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate (9, 10) and comprising a respective one of the vertical semiconductor channels 60; and a plurality of charge storage elements (comprising portions of the memory films 50, i.e., portions of the charge storage layer 54). Each charge storage element may be located adjacent to a respective one of the plurality of semiconductor channels (59, 11, 60).

The embodiments herein disclose a network of interconnected trenches (79L1, 79L2, 79W) that may provide local doubling of the width of the staircase regions 300 relative to the width of the memory array regions 100. The areas of the staircase regions 300 may be more efficiently utilized compared to prior art layouts in which staircase regions have the same width as memory array regions. The total dimension of the alternating stacks (32, 46) along the first horizontal direction hd1 may be reduced relative to prior art devices using uniform width for memory regions and staircase regions in the three-dimensional memory device of the present disclosure. Thus, the three-dimensional memory device of the present disclosure provides a higher device density than prior art three-dimensional memory devices, and reduces the manufacturing cost per die.

Although the foregoing refers to particular preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the disclosure is not so limited. It will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments and that such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Compatibility is presumed among all embodiments that are not alternatives of one another. The word “comprise” or “include” contemplates all embodiments in which the word “consist essentially of” or the word “consists of” replaces the word “comprise” or “include,” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Where an embodiment using a particular structure and/or configuration is illustrated in the present disclosure, it is understood that the present disclosure may be practiced with any other compatible structures and/or configurations that are functionally equivalent provided that such substitutions are not explicitly forbidden or otherwise known to be impossible to one of ordinary skill in the art. All of the publications, patent applications and patents cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A three-dimensional memory device comprising: a plurality of alternating stacks of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, wherein each alternating stack within the plurality of alternating stacks is laterally spaced apart from one another by a network of interconnected trenches that extend through each level of the insulating layers and the electrically conductive layers; and groups of memory stack structures extending through a respective one of the plurality of alternating stacks, wherein the network of interconnected trenches comprises: first lengthwise trenches laterally extending along a first horizontal direction by a first lateral trench extension distance that is at least a maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks along the first horizontal direction; second lengthwise trenches laterally extending along the first horizontal direction by a second lateral trench extension distance that is less than the maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks along the first horizontal direction, and interlaced with the first lengthwise trenches to provide a laterally alternating sequence of the first lengthwise trenches and the second lengthwise trenches; and widthwise trenches laterally extending along a second horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction and connecting an end of a respective one of the second lengthwise trenches to a portion of a sidewall of a respective one of the first lengthwise trenches.
 2. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of alternating stacks comprises: a respective memory array region including each layer within a respective alternating stack; and a respective staircase region including stepped surfaces of the respective alternating stack.
 3. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 2, wherein: each memory array region has a first lateral width along the second horizontal direction; and each staircase region has a respective first segment having a second lateral width along the second horizontal direction, wherein the second lateral width is greater than the first lateral width.
 4. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 3, wherein the second lateral width is greater than twice the first lateral width.
 5. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 3, wherein each staircase region comprises a respective connection segment adjoining the respective first segment to a respective memory array region and having the first lateral width along the second horizontal direction.
 6. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 3, further comprising third lengthwise trenches that are laterally spaced from, and are not adjoined to, the network of interconnected trenches and dividing a portion of each staircase region along the first horizontal direction into a respective second segment and a respective third segment.
 7. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 6, wherein horizontal surfaces within the respective second segment are vertically offset from horizontal surfaces within the respective third segment.
 8. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 6, wherein each of the third lengthwise trenches includes a pair of lengthwise sidewalls that are located within a pair of vertical planes that include a pair of lengthwise sidewalls of one of the second lengthwise trenches.
 9. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 6, wherein: an edge of the respective second segment that extends along the second horizontal direction is adjoined to a first portion of a straight edge of the respective first segment; and an edge of the respective third segment that extends along the second horizontal direction is adjoined to a second portion of the straight edge of the respective first segment.
 10. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 1, wherein each of the first lengthwise trenches, the second lengthwise trenches, and the widthwise trenches have a respective uniform width.
 11. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 1, further comprising: a continuous contact via structure that extends through each of the first lengthwise trenches, the second lengthwise trenches, and the widthwise trenches as a single continuous structure and is electrically isolated from each of the plurality of alternating stacks by an insulating spacer; and a source region including a doped semiconductor material, formed in the substrate, and contacting a bottom surface of the continuous contact via structure.
 12. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 1, further comprising drain-select-level isolation structures extending through a subset of the electrically conductive layers within the plurality of alternating stacks, laterally extending along the first horizontal direction with a respective uniform width, and laterally spaced apart from one another along the second horizontal direction.
 13. The three-dimensional memory device of claim 1, wherein each of the memory stack structures comprises a vertical semiconductor channel and a memory film in contact with the vertical semiconductor channel.
 14. A method of forming a three-dimensional memory device, comprising: forming a vertically alternating sequence of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers over a substrate; patterning peripheral regions of the vertically alternating sequence to form stepped surfaces; forming memory stack structures in a memory array region in which each layer of the vertically alternating sequence is present; dividing the vertically alternating sequence into alternating stacks of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers by forming a network of interconnected trenches therethrough, wherein the network of interconnected trenches comprises: first lengthwise trenches laterally extending along a first horizontal direction by a first lateral trench extension distance that is at least a maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks along the first horizontal direction, second lengthwise trenches laterally extending along the first horizontal direction, interlaced with the first lengthwise trenches to provide a laterally alternating sequence of the first lengthwise trenches and the second lengthwise trenches extending along the first horizontal direction by a second lateral trench extension distance that is less than the maximum lateral extent of the plurality of alternating stacks along the first horizontal direction, and widthwise trenches laterally extending along a second horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction and connecting an end of a respective one of the second lengthwise trenches to a portion of a sidewall of a respective one of the first lengthwise trenches; and replacing sacrificial material layers within each alternating stack with electrically conductive layers.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the first lengthwise trenches, the second lengthwise trenches, and the widthwise trenches vertically extends through each layer within the vertically alternating sequence.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein replacing the sacrificial material layers within each alternating stack with the electrically conductive layers comprises: forming backside recesses by removing each of the sacrificial material layers selective to the insulating layers of the alternating stacks using an isotropic etch process that provides an isotropic etchant into the network of interconnected trenches; depositing at least one electrically conductive material in the backside recesses using a conformal deposition process; and removing portions of the at least one electrically conductive material within volumes of the network of interconnected trenches.
 17. The method of claim 14, wherein an area of each of the plurality of alternating stacks comprises: a respective memory array region including each layer within a respective alternating stack and a respective subset of the memory stack structures; and a respective staircase region including stepped surfaces of the respective alternating stack.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein: each memory array region is formed with a first lateral width along the second horizontal direction; and each staircase region has a respective first segment having a second lateral width along the second horizontal direction, wherein the second lateral width is greater than the first lateral width.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second lateral width is greater than twice the first lateral width.
 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming third lengthwise trenches that are laterally spaced from, and are not adjoined to, the network of interconnected trenches and dividing a portion of each staircase region along the first horizontal direction into a respective second segment and a respective third segment, wherein: horizontal surfaces within the respective second segment are vertically offset from horizontal surfaces within the respective third segment; an edge of the respective second segment that extends along the second horizontal direction is adjoined to a first portion of a straight edge of the respective first segment; and an edge of the respective third segment that extends along the second horizontal direction is adjoined to a second portion of the straight edge of the respective first segment. 